About me
I’m Polly and I’m an integrative therapeutic counsellor. I support clients who are experiencing a wide range of distress and difficulty, and help them to build a safer, healthier relationship with themselves and their experiences. This process can help relieve symptoms, build self-awareness, and aid clients in living a life more aligned with who they really are. Areas I can help with include depression, anxiety, bereavement & loss, relationships, and the perinatal period. My specialist areas are working with actors and those who went to boarding school.
By providing a safe and non-judgemental space, I can help you to explore and make more sense of what is troubling you, whilst supporting in making change that is meaningful to you. My style is warm, gently challenging and client led.
I work integratively, meaning that I draw on a number of different psychological models to tailor my approach to you. These include Humanistic, Psychodynamic and CBT. I also trained and then worked with child clients, so often draw on this in my sessions with adults - particularly by exploring attachment and early childhood influences. My practice is rooted in the idea that we are greatly impacted by our early experiences, and they can significantly affect how we behave in the present. If we can better understand these old patterns and recognise where they aren’t working for us anymore, we can create space for healing and change to occur.
Actors and Ex-Boarders
Whilst being two very different experiences, clients often present with similar concerns including difficulty with relationships & vulnerability, pressure to succeed, low self-esteem, fear of abandonment, workaholism, perfectionism, shame, burnout, minimal self-care and struggles with laying down roots. I work with clients individually, as well as with those who cross over and have experience of both. Please see my website for further information.
Sessions
I offer a free 30-minute call for you to ask any questions and get a sense of me as a therapist. The next step would be to book in an initial session, during which I would carry out an assessment. This is to give you an idea of how I work and allow me to better understand how I can support you. From there, we can agree on how best to work together.
The sessions are yours to bring whatever you need to. I will sit alongside you in what comes up, facilitate exploration and support in making change that aligns with you. Therapy can be challenging at times and is rarely a linear process, but I will aim to support you in navigating the complexity of your individual experience.
Training, qualifications & experience
Qualifications
- Level 4 Diploma in Integrative Therapeutic Counselling - (CPCAB)
- I will be undertaking Nick Duffell’s The Unmaking of Them boarding school diploma training in 2027.
Further training and CPD
- Healing Beyond Boarding School for Women - AMELIA WHITE
- Boarding School Awareness - AMELIA WHITE
- Trauma, Abandonment & Privilege: Boarding School Syndrome - NICK DUFFELL
- The Meaning of Shame in the Treatment of Trauma - JANINA FISHER
- Working with Loss and Bereavement - CRUSE BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT
- Holding Space for Hyperemesis Gravidarum - PREGNANCY SICKNESS SUPPORT
- Various trainings whilst working at PLACE 2 BE including Attachment Theory, Play and Creative Therapy, Safeguarding, Assessment & Formulation and Supervision.
- Counselling Online - OPEN UNIVERSITY
Experience
- 1:1 client work in private practice supporting adults with a wide range of concerns
- 1:1 client work in an agency setting supporting adult clients
- Supervising Counsellor at PLACE 2 BE (primary school)
- 1:1 counselling with children in primary schools
- Telephone support work at the Stroke Association
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I specialise in working with actors and those who went to boarding school. Please see my website for further information.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£70.00 per session
Additional information
Initial 30 minute call - free
First Session - £70
Ongoing Sessions - £70
I have a limited number of low cost slots available - we can discuss when you make your enquiry.
Further information
I am an insured and registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and adhere to their ethical framework. I have experience of working with a diverse group of clients and provide an LGBTQIA+ safe space.
